Engineer Technician (Civil) - ALL US CITIZENS and FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Job

Vacancy No. FHWA.CFL-2025-0016 Department Federal Highway Administration
Salary $49,025.00 to $104,861.00 Grade 07 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/31/2024 Close Date 12/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Clovis, CAGrand Junction, COLakewood, COAlbuquerque, NM


Summary

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has Engineering Technician (Construction) positions available in Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLD). Projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies (e.g., National Park Service & U.S. Forest Service) & include multi-state areas.

Duties

As an Engineer Technician (Civil), you will:

  • Assist construction inspector in charge of paving with responsibility for quality assurance of paving operations.
  • Assist bridge inspector with checking line and grade, checking forms, placement of reinforced or structural steel or other similar work connected with bridges, large box culverts, or retaining walls.
  • Serve as inspector of contractor's surveying operations, responsible for monitoring and evaluating contractor staking.
  • Monitor contractor sampling and testing procedures for accuracy and conducts independent assurance sampling.
  • Monitor and enforce contractor for compliance with all required quality control responsibilities.
  • Observe and evaluate safety precautions of contractor and calls attention to infractions of safety regulations.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE: 

The ideal candidate for this position is a technician with education and/or experience in the technical aspects of highway construction, and ensuring compliance with contract specifications, technical direction and guidance.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Varies by position. If applicable, the applicant selected is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance.
  • PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requires extensive standing, walking, climbing, bending, lifting and carrying up to 60 pounds. In addition, you will be exposed to varying weather and terrain conditions.
  • DRIVER'S LICENSE: This position requires extensive travel and mobility. You must have a valid state driver’s license and be fully qualified to operate a government-owned vehicle.
  • TRAVEL: The position involves a significant amount of travel away from your duty station for extended periods of time.  Travel may often be to remote locations. You must be willing to travel for extended periods of time, often to remote locations.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements for series 0802 (for positions at GS-4 or equivalent and above): This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include technical work in: drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as:

  • Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes.
  • Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated.

For more information refer to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/engineering-technical-series-0802/

To determine which grade(s) you are eligible for, review the following grade specific details.  You will be asked questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume, and/or upload the applicable education documents, or you may be deemed ineligible.  

For the GS-07:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level, which included:

  • Experience assisting/monitoring materials sampling and testing; interpreting highway design plans and specifications; surveying for roadway construction.

Or on Education, you must have at least one (1) full year of graduate education* leading to a master's degree or equivalent with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology.

You can also have a combination of the graduate education* and specialized experience listed above.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

Please note that specialized experience requirements for the following grades, 09 and 11, can be met by qualifying experience at the second lower grade level since no one-grade level positions exist in the normal line of progression for this occupation in this organization/location. Also note that Time-In-Grade requirements (for Status applicants) can be met by experience at the second lower grade level for the same reason.

For the GS-09:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:

  • Experience evaluating procedures, methods, controls, and operations for compliance with specifications and construction operations as they relate to the construction of roadways.

Or on Education, you must have at least two (2) full years of graduate education* or a master's degree or equivalent with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology.

You can also have a combination of the graduate education and specialized experience listed above.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

*Graduate Education - To qualify for GS-0802 positions at grades 07 & 09 based on graduate education (which is education above a Bachelor's degree), the field must be directly related to the position.

For the GS-11:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which included:

  • Experience working on the administration and inspection of Federal, State, or local highway construction projects that include operations such as grading, drainage, concrete and asphalt construction, and traffic flow and maintenance.

You cannot qualify based on education at the GS-11 level, you must have experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Civil Engineering Technical Knowledge - Knowledge of the concepts, principles and methods required to provide technical assistance to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
  • Technical Competence - Use knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; work with, understand, and evaluate technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
  • Written Communication - Write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
  • Oral Communication - Make clear and convincing oral presentations. Listen effectively; clarifies information as needed.

For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Graduate Education- To qualify for GS-0802 positions at grades 07 & 09 based on graduate education, the field must be directly related to the position. Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-TECH

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This posting establishes an open-continuous one year announcement. The first review of applications will be 15 days from the opening date, then applications will be reviewed as needed.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top-rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top-rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

RESUME: Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles.  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process.

Transcripts are REQUIRED if you are applying based on education for grades 07 and/or 09. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. 

  • Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Provide proof the education credentials meet U.S. education program requirements. 

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.).

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.  

  • If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
  • If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability.  An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
  • If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant.  DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50.  Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50

NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents:  

  • your most recent performance appraisal,
  • the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
  • your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.  You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

  • To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
  • Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
  • You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at:  Transjobs@dot.gov

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
202-366-1298
Fax
571-258-4052
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. Qualified candidates will be assigned a category, not including points that may be assigned for veterans' preference. If the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100.  The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If the vacancy was advertised under category rating, then the appropriate veteran's preference will be applied.  If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

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